(57) A battery operated portable personal computer includes ambient temperature (46) and
humidity (48) sensors, as well as two LCD's (52) to provide visual indication that
the ambient temperature or humidity is out of range. If the ambient temperature drops
below 3 degrees C, or if it rises above 52 degrees C, the computer enters a low power
suspend mode wherein the computer is inoperable, but, upon switching from the suspend
mode to the resume (operating) mode, the application program that was running at the
time of the suspension is resumed at the same point that the suspension occurred.
The LCD temperature indicator is activated when the ambient temperature drops below
3 degrees C, or rises above 46 degrees C. Thus, for high temperatures, the temperature
indicator is activated 6 degrees before the computer is placed in the suspend mode.
The ambient temperature is periodically monitored while in the suspend mode and, if
the temperature rises above 6 degrees C, or drops below 44 degrees C, the computer
switches from suspend to resume. Thus, hysteresis is provided to prevent the computer
from oscillating between suspend and resume modes. If the humidity rises above 96%
relative humidity, the computer enters the suspend mode and the LCD humidity indicator
is activated. The ambient humidity is periodically monitored in the suspend mode and,
if it drops below 87% relative humidity, the computer switches from suspend to resume
mode.
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